The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 89

101 BROOKLYN EAGLE MAGAZINE. OCTOBER 2. 1932 111 Pc Wc Out for Reform orto ican omen 1 I i fill (H Having Earned the Vote, They Will Go to tlw Polls Next Month, 120,000 Strong, to Show Their Resentment Against Man-Run Government -Jit ft r-' 1 31 fill "'HE second ol these organizations. has set foi itself a in a manner. r4 7-; '1 I- I 1 1 if 1 i iMiJ 'X ill I spheres of Porto Rican life.

She is also the first woman of Porto Rico to have won the honorary doctor's degree from the University of Porto Rico. 'V VJO LESS zestful in her contribution to this cause has been Dona Trinidad Padilla Je Sanz, daughter of one of the most distinguished ot the romantic poets of Porto Rico, Jose GuaJ-' berto Padilla. A writer and publicist Dona Trinidad, whose nom de plume is "La Hija del Caribe." voiced her call foi new freedom to the women of her country. But to her. freedom meant not necessarily the suffrage, but a complete interweaving of all the responsibilities of home life with an intimate and intelligent understanding and interest in the problems which confronted the country.

Thus Dona Ana Roque de Duprey ana Dona Trinidad Padilla de Sanz are the soils, education has been one of Uu major fie. us ol women expression and the Porto Rican woman has risen swiftly into prominent positions in nei native island Thus, the post of dean of the women of the University of Porte Rico the same post occupied with sucn Dnlliance by Susan Huntington is now the care of Marie Machin. a Columbia University graduate and a devotea educator. In the same university Concha Melendez. who this year received her Ph.D degree from the Universidad Central de Mexico, and a poetess and writer, holds the chair ol 'professor of Spanish.

The evidence of ncr fine, educational outlook is her introduction into Porto Rican education of researches into Pan-American history and into the indigenous literature of Mexico. TPHE concern of the women -of Porto Rico with education has revealed itself in the founding of private schools of a high order the best of which is the Collegio Puertoriqueno de Ninas (Porto Rican College for Girls), founded by a group of leading women of Porto 73- 1 V' 1- i fNbo-- i mw (ft 1 crusr.d r's task. It was founaed by twe of the younger women of Porto Rico Clara Lugo and Ana Mane Neill Ana Marie O'Neill, a teacher in the University oi Porto Rico, daughter ot a family known for its culture, had been a journalist and educator and naa sought to introduce into the Porto Rican educational system something 01 the principles of John Dewey and other educators. With her collaborator, Senor-lta Luo. she entered an evangelist's task to clean the political life ot its corruption.

And the association, in fact, constitutes a party which attaches itself to 'no established group, but coordinates its efforts toward the 'election of such candidates as offer the most sane and unmarred record. A synthesis of its aims may be voiced in the words of Clara Lugo, who says: "There is urgent necessity of reform. Men have had their chance, and they have misused it. It is for us, woman, to try; and we are not only willing but desperately intent to stand for our rights for the well-being of Puerto Rico." A v.orthy declaration and typical 01 the far step which the women ol Porto Rico have made since her new Etride into a national figure. One more name must be mentioned among those who fought for the suffrage in Porto Rico and that is Milagros the far step which the women ol stride into a national figure.

ne more name must be mentlonea among those who fought for the suf- frage in Porto Rico and that is Milagros matriarchal figures in Porto Rican womanhood. The great impetus for liberation became their passion and exercized its influence upon those that followed them. The speedy advance which their ex-example aroused is no way more evident than by the fact that this year for the first time in Porto Rico a woman stands as candidate for Senator Isabel Andreu de Aguilar the first woman to be so honored. It is the "first year also when women will vote, ana they constitute the focal interest in the present election, since it is expecteo that their influence will be the resolving one in the present political contest Dona Isabel, herself a student Susan Huntington, has oecome a member 01 the junta de Sindicos of the University of Porto Rico. And through her influence in this capacity it was possible for Porto Rico to be visited by such a leading female figure of Hispanic-American culture as Gabriela Mistrai.

as well as by Concha Espina. the great Spanish literary figure. Dona Isabel has also created scholarships in music and art in Spain for the talented young women of her country. In a manner, the Porto Rican women are not unprepared for the suffrage power they will exercise for the first time this year. Their political potencies have been guided by a trio of powerful organizations known as the Asociacion de Mujeres Votantes (League of Women Voters), the Bloque de Mujeres no Partidistas (Non-Partisan Women's Association) and the Bloque de Mujeres de la Union Republicana (Association of Women of the Republican Union).

in sPain fr talented young are ot "nPreParea Ir lne suurage time this year. Their political potencies have been guided by a trio of powerful organizations known as the Asociacion de Mujeres Votantes (League of Women Voters), the Bloque de Mujeres no part'd'stas (Non-Partisan Women's As- sociation) and the Bloque de Mujeres of women of the Republican Union). lift 0- iwwpww" v5 wwwpmw wwvmMWMMinnmw, HWlllillli IjXLy- ft t'S -w-' I i i.fli,- 1.1J'J CourtMy Pwtt Rlc LlM or coconuts Climhins I A 1, I -i Itt4 7 "1" I i' 1 i 7 JJ I ff tj qFgWL I I I AJ I rttr I I J- Ji -A, -m A knV' 4 't i I 1 I V'l A JM J1 4pfTirf I 4 4. v-i tV I Cunj Rtwleh Mimcum A street scene, in San Juan, from a painting Women will vole for the first time in the Porto Rican elections, Nov. S.

Party leaders are frankly concerned. The 120.000 women registered are an unknown quantity. Old line Benet de Newton, who visited President Coolidge and President Hoover in the cause of suffrage for her Porto Rican sisters. As with the other Latin American Benet de Neviton. who visited President Coolidge and President Hoover In the cauS 0f suffrage for her Porto Rican As with the other Latin American I --f "fS fT JV' 't- I -y fH k- I womanhood of Porto Rico.

Of rare interest to North Americans is Muna Lee, the poetess, born in the United States, but who since her, marriage to a Porto Rican has identified herself With its life. Married to the son of Porto Ricos great leader. Luis Munoz Rivera, she has contributed all her gifts to Porto Rico and at the Pan-American Woman'a Congress in Havana was appointed to act as representative ot the Island. Rising in the field of poetry also is Alicia Cadilla, still in her early twenties but giving promise of fine future work With the essential gift' of motherhood possessed by the women ot Porto Rico, it is not strange that the field of social service with motherhood extended to embrace the community should win so many to it. Beatrice Lasalle, foi instance, is one of the high executive.

ol the Red Cro.ss of Porto Rico and one of its finest educators and social welfare workers leaders profess to believe the women will voters the men do, but femm- ne leaders say the women will vote more intelligently. The women are openly resentful of man-run government and of the decree to which they have been ignored in party councils and management. Miss Grant, vice president of the Roerich Museum, discusses the progress of Porto Rican women in this article. By Fiances R. Grant WHEN the history of Paii-Amer-lcan womanhood is written, one of its most touching aspects will be the assistance, the Inspiration and encouragement given by the women 01 one American race to those of another It is but natural that in her upward struggle, the Porto Rican woman should have been sustained by the example and the encouragement of North American women, those few whose names became Identified with its educational life and who provided the great impetus to a new and evolving womanhood.

In this regard there is no one who has won higher regard and more universal tribute than that devoted worker for Hispanic-American culture, Susan Huntington, now Mrs. Howard Vernon of Brooklyn. For ten years, as professor of education in the University of Porto Rica and dean ot its women. Susan Huntington brought to the women 01 Porto Rico her influence and her cultural inspiration, and a great numbci of the women of Porto Rico who are today assuming their place in the advancement of their people owe then impetus and understanding to her inspiration. As with the other Latin Amencai women, the Porto Ricans for manj years were bound to their homes Oil Spain exerted its patrimonial conventions over the far-off colonies.

But it must be said for tht women of Porto Rico that the role of motherhood one for which nature especially "rHR arts cluira the women's chief among them, music oe-causc the mixed strains in Porto Rican heritage have accorded its people the" universal gift of music and song. Many are her daughters who have indicated their fine musical qualities And has business life been neglected? Not at all. In witness of which one recalls, among many others. Ana Luis Floiit. who after five years' stay in the United States returned to her country and has become one of its mast successful business women For the women of North America tne destiny and the evolution of the women o( Porto Rico is of closest interest Different in racial background and heri-'age.

the woman of the United States and the women of Porto Rico are sis-crs in a common national evolution. With deep regard, we may express to hem our tribute in their striving to reconcile and beautify their noble dual role as mothers and til ii ens of a new world era. dowed them; and even in the new responsibilities to which a changing social order has brought them, they have been able to balance with extraordinary deftness their roles of mothers and ol citizens. Each nation has a god-mother ol feminine liberation with Porto Rico this enviable role fell to Dona Ana Roque de Duprey, who was the first to preach and to enlist recruits for the ne-w role of womanhood. A teacher and a politician, she became the center of a vital circle working towards the broadening of feminine activity and the liberation of her social talents.

Dona Ana is now an octogenarian, but her services to the cause of womanhood still continue and she has that rare happiness, which comes to forerunners, ot seeing her cherished hopes finding fulfillment in the constantly widening Rico, major among who was Dona Celia Ruiz Arnau, now residing in New York As its director it boasts Carmen Gue-naza de Piza, to whom Columbia University gave its education, and due tc her experience the school has grown into the most important institution 01 its kind there. Literature and poetry are fields whlcn entice all Latin American women -almost every woman in the Latin Americas has in her spirit the gift ol words; that is why some of Latin America's greatest writers and poets are women. In Porto Rico Angelon Negron Munoz has set herself the worthy task of becoming the biographer of the San Juan n-X i 4 1 fiirlrrx i si 1 i.